Currently, consumers. Regulated marijuana dispensaries will obviously

Currently, the
legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial topics in Canadian
politics. Many people support the act, but many are against it due to concerns
regarding health and public safety. Most people are worried about how the
legalization of marijuana will affect the youth. To answer that, the government
of Canada is in the process of creating 2 new criminal offences with penalties
of up to 14 years in jail to prevent minors consuming the drug (Government of
Canada). Many people relate marijuana use to crime and violence, but the
legalization of marijuana in Canada is going to help reduce criminal activity
country-wide. If the Cannabis act becomes a law, many regulations will be put
in place to strictly limit the amount of marijuana possessed by an adult. It
will be purchasable only from licensed retailers, and in some provinces it will
be purchasable online.

Crime and violence
within Canada is increased drastically due to criminals selling and dealing
marijuana illegally, the legalization of marijuana will effectively lower crime
rates and destroy the marijuana black market. Illegal cannabis is also a very big
health concern. The epidemic of fentanyl-laced marijuana in Canada, has caused
hundreds of deaths and overdoses each year (London Free Press). Once marijuana
is legalized, the Canadian government will make sure all cannabis that is sold
at regulated dispensaries will be safe for consumers. Regulated marijuana
dispensaries will obviously be priced higher when compared to their black
market counterparts, but this is because of the safety guarantee. In an
interview, Justin Trudeau stated: “If you give a consumer the choice
between buying something from a shady character in a stairwell of uncertain
provenance that’s roughly the same price
as buying it from a regulated place where you can be confident of the quality,
provenance and that you’re not breaking
the law, consumers will choose a reasonable option” (Vice). Many citizens
believe that police cracking down on illegal marijuana shops and dispensaries
is not a good use of police resources. “I wonder how much money the city
is wasting in police officer time and resources to come shut down this place
when it’s going to be open again in 48 hours” said a customer of an
illegal marijuana dispensary in downtown Toronto after it was raided by police
in April, 2017. Once marijuana is legalized and the black market is dismantled,
“It will allow law enforcement to focus on other, serious offences,
including the distribution of cannabis to children and driving under the
influence of drugs.” (Quote by Ralph Goodale). If the legalization of
cannabis is done correctly, it will be a huge step forward in fighting crime in
not only Ontario, but all of Canada.

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The legalization of
cannabis will bring in a lot of revenue or the government as it is regulated by
the L.C.B.O. (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). Currently in Ontario, illegal
marijuana sells for around 10$ per gram, but may vary depending on the strand
and location. Once cannabis is legal, 1 gram of recreational marijuana will
sell for around 8 dollars. I talked about how the price difference will help
destroy the black market in the paragraph above. The Canadian government will
make an approximant $5 Billion dollars a year once the act is passed (CIBC
World Market). “The bottom line is that federal (and) provincial
governments might reap as much as $5 billion from legalization, but only if all
the underground sales are effectively curtailed,” said Avery Shenfeld, a
CIBC Economist. Other sources estimate the legalization of marijuana may even
add up to $22.6 billion to Canadas yearly revenue (Deloitte Cannabis Survey).
This data accounts for the increased marijuana tourism, license fees, and many
other minor factors. It Is predicted that marijuana sales will begin right
after the bill is passed, which will most likely be in early July.